SHAUKAT MAMOOD,
INSPECTOR GENERAL OF
I have worked 35 years at national and
international level for prisoners. There are 3 important ways to fight for
prisoners’ welfare prevalent over most of the countries in world EXCEPT
!. Local
Prisoners Aid societies work in support programs for local prisons with a
vigilant eye on prisoners rights allowed to inspect prisons. They consist of
local social workers doctors lawyers.
2. Bar
Associations of lawyers at local state and national level offering free legal
aid to prisoners, fighting for their rights, petitions complaints in all the
courts.
3.
Intellectuals, psychiatrists, social workers, journalists, lawyers, they
produce research materials, reports, and articles as guidelines for legislators
which are meant to bring policy changes in the system.
Relatives of prisoners’ co ordinate at all the
three levels what is happening in
Low Priority to prisons
Today I happened to visit newly built multi storied a very big modern
hospital when I asked for total cost for this hospital where thousands of men
and women are daily benefiting, referring to its cost dr. smiled and said only
one F16.
These days F 16s cost is debated between
our government and the us government, Imagine if sale proceeds of two
fighter planes are spent on prisons every year the whole system of any
country can be refreshed and revitalized, giving relief to millions of
inmates.
The hard fact is that all over the world
the prisons are always placed at lowest priority compared with not only defense
but all the other public facilities. It needs a world wide awareness that when
parental control education street conditions and other environmental factors
and society at large is itself responsible for crimes why should we
hate the criminal to be placed under inhuman conditions
A comparative study of prison systems of
other nations will help
The prison activists in
Where there is a breach of
existing laws the only solution lies in approaching the courts, for which fund
raising is essential. In many countries the Bar Associations of lawyers have
constituted special committees of lawyers to fight free such cases. I didn’t
think American lawyers so callous; they can afford free legal aid to poor
prisoners.
My advice is that we are living in a global
village; let’s internationalize the issues for international opinion
pressure.
Perhaps they respond to love........
In
Pakistan Mianwali central Prison is considered worst and most difficult to
manage. In 1986 I was the inspector General of prisons in the state (province)
where it is located, one morning I was informed that about 1500 prisoners
working in the factory are .burning the property and have taken the 5 officers
as hostages and are likely to kill them. I started from my headquarters about
200 miles away and on reaching there I found lot of police with arms and tear gas
shells spread around the jail. The senior government officers were sitting in
the superintendent jails office and ready to attack on the inmates in big
factory from all sides.
When I
entered the room I asked them their action will result in many deaths but
they replied that all means including negotiating has failed and no other
solution is in sight and with more time given to inmates more loss to factory
materials and hostages is likely.
I told
them I will go to the prisoners and talk my self they did not agree and on my
insistence they will permit me to go to prisoners with heavy guards. I said
yes.
Now
from a distance of 200 yards the prisoners are seeing me coming with guards heavily
equipped with weapons, suddenly they see that I am asking the guards to go back
and I am alone advancing towards them risking my life and at least the state
head the chief coming as to be a hostage. Himself...
When I
came close to them, they opened the main factory door to permit my
entry. two three violent dangerous prisoners with long knives in their
hands jumped towards me but others made them to stay away.,,, I told them I
have come as your guest voluntarily now it is your good sense how you deal wit
me. If your problems can be solved by killing me kill me.., but if you
give me a chance may be I can solve your agitating problems. They made me sit
comfortably even offered some snacks usual for a guest. In local culture we
talked and talked for two hours. I had to agree to some reasonable
demands........... They had to take back unreasonable protest and showing
repentance on national loss to property. The most important point agreed
by me was NO RETALIATRY ACTION. Everything went so smooth and peace
and normalcy returned.............................sympathy and love prevails in
criminals equally as they are humans like all of us...................
HOW
INMATE MIND WORKS
We
all, the staff, guards and 200 prisoners were living in tents surrounded
by barbed wire while during work armed guards will be covering the working area
in open.
Our
camp was located between the river and a big canal both swollen uptown brim.
One night we found the river and canal both overflowing into our camp. I
ordered the inmates and the staff to run to safety points to save their life
where ever they could go leaving aside all the security arrangements. All the
prisoners left in dark wherever they found safety in radius of 10 miles in
different villages high mounds even tree tops.
Next
morning when the sun rose I was worried how shall I account for the security of
200 prisoners as they are all gone and escaped under my orders. I was standing
with staff and guards when about 20 prisoners came from one side and narrated
story how they spent night in jungle. In the meantime another batch came then
another ...up to the evening I had in my custody complete 200 inmates.
Two
days after this incident we were playing volley ball in the camp when I was
informed that 5 prisoners have escaped by hitting the guard breaking the barbed
wire barrier. These prisoners 2 days earlier were set free under compulsion
with all others and they voluntarily came back to custody from freedom at their
own will. Now they escaped breaking the law.
How
human mind works. Perhaps trusting inmates with responsibility is most
appropriate.
Hundreds
of prisoners treated for food-borne illness
Food
standards in prisons must co relate with average food standards in the society
where the prison is located, if they are higher it will be considered as an
inducement or incentive to crime conversely if it is lower in quality than
an average man eats in society it may considered in human, so it would mean
that there can be no one universal standard for food to be served to prisoners.
Whatever the quality of food it may be hygienic standards are to be
the same everywhere in the world as hygiene effects health and health
effects life and life everywhere is to be valued equally important......
Abusive
TDCJ Officers of the Month
Preventing suicides by inmates is
the primary duty of prison management, which has to take all possible measures
to save life. This has been internationally agreed. If an suicide takes place
it is a must to investigate reasons causes and to remove all these forth with
to ensure no re-occurrence. It is all the more important to punish the
negligent prison staff who is duty bound to frustrate all attempts at suicide
by prisoners.
United Nations standard minimum rules for treatment of offenders
The United
Nations adopted rules for treatment of Offenders at Geneva in 1955 to which all
the member nations signed for their application by their respective
governments. The United Nations congress under the UNO charter is supposed
to monitor and follow up the application of these rules every 5 years.
UNFORTUNATELY
THE RULES ARE NOT FOLLOWED IN LETTER AND SPIRIT BY MAJORITY OF THE NATIONS IN
THE WORLD, EVEN THE ADVANCED COUNTRIES IN EUROPE AND AMERICA.
One
of the rules suggest that no officers will be imported in the correctional
services of any country belonging to POLICE AND ARMED FORCES. THIS WAS NECESSIATED DUE TO THE FACT
THAT THE MENTATAL MAKE UP. TRAINING AND PERSONAL TRAITS OF CHARACTER
OF THESE OFFICERS GO CONTRARY TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF A CORRECTIONAL OFFICER.
THIS
RULE IS BELIED AND BETRAYED IN U.K., USA, AND MANY OTHER
COUNTRIES AS PERSONALLY OBSERVED BY ME DURING THE VISITS TO THESE
COUNTRIES. Why?????????????????????????
Open
Jails
I am
not sure how the open jails are working in
In these countries a vast peace of land is earmarked for a prisoner’s
colony it is a small village where barracks homes for living with other
utilities like schools hospitals etc are provided. The surrounding lands are
cultivated by prisoners. In some countries the whole management is by prisoners
i.e. taking the crops to market maintaining the accounts etc. These open
jails farms are without walls guards security to the minimum.
The
prisoners working here are very carefully selected, they must be first
offenders, casuals, chance offenders, not locals, good jail record ,undergone
at least half the sentence, must have fixed abode and families, they may be
allowed to keep families with them.
Such jails can considerably reduce the overcrowding in jails with
additional benefits of reform; I had myself an experiment with 100
prisoners on 100 acres of land for growing vegetables for inmates of a prison
and a fish farm. There was no incidence of escape for one year except minor
cases of disciplinary nature.
THE
COMMUNIYY INVOLVEMENT
I
read with interest the valuable materials posted by Tom on criminal justice
system as a whole including corrections. Every social science or problem has to
be seen in the context of a particular society, I have no experience of American
social conditions still whatever little I gather in the Toms group,
on the basis of that I can safely say that the system and particularly prison
is of paramount importance as the increasing prison population must be taken as
threat to society. The population inmate
ratio the rate of recidivism is really alarming. Very few Americans as I find
seem worried about it, if you ask me how to meet the challenge, I will
say one word THE COMMUNIYY INVOLVEMENT at all levels, Unfortunately
people in USA are so busy in pursuits of own existence that they find less time
in community work. I was once studying criminal Justice system of
Government
in uniform controlling and administering the public, accompanied by public do
this it will be more effective and it does not need extra funds but a
national spirit
Shaukat
PRISON REFORMS
IF we study history of prison reforms in the world we see
two striking factors; when politicians, ruling elite under political conditions
were put in jails, on their return to power they affected drastic jail reforms.
THEN writers and journalists placed in jails for various
reasons on their return to society they wrote extensively to build up public
opinion resulting in reforms.
Constitutional and legal writs filed in courts and united nations have
also contributed.
SHAUKAT
MAMOOD
INSPECTOR GENERAL PRISONS
(retired)